The purpose of Re-Entry in Palm Beach County is to connect returning citizens from our local Palm Beach County Jail, the Florida Department of Corrections, and the Federal Bureau of Prisons to necessary services. These services may include several strategies used by existing initiatives which are applicable to reentry as well. They include mental health treatment, employment assistance, substance abuse prevention, housing, welfare, faith-based, family unification and transportation services.
Each year more than 600,000 adult inmates are released from state and federal prisons, while an estimated 100,000 juveniles and youthful offenders are released from secure and residential detention facilities. The return of ex-offenders can threaten the fragile cohesion of many of the nation’s most troubled neighborhoods.
Ex-offenders often return to their community the way they went into prison: lacking adequate education, with little or no access to labor markets, and with few or no connections to positive social support networks. They are likely to experience addiction, mental illness, domestic violence, and a myriad of other challenges that can contribute to an increased likelihood of return to criminal activity, arrest, and reincarceration.
The other goal of reentry is to increase public safety. The public has a right to expect that the streets will be safe and free of crime. Reentry is another tool in the public safety tool belt insuring that citizens will be safe in our communities.
Weed and Seed became involved in reentry because of the locations for this successful strategy. The city’s housing the programs are in high-crime/high risk areas which have large numbers of returning offenders. These returning citizens may become re-involved in crime unless there is a focused effort to control reentry through judicial, correctional, and law enforcement supervision. The Department of Justice newly established funding guidelines coincide with the national emphasis on re-entry.
Currently, the Criminal Justice Commission funds a number of reentry programs through the Palm Beach County Public Defender’s Office, and through Weed and Seed. The services offered by W&S are subcontracted to Gulfstream Good Will.
2009 Draft Strategic Plan County Wide Assessment of Re-Entry Services in Palm Beach County
Carey Haughwout
Chairperson
The Re-entry Task Force began meeting in February 2008. Initially the committee was temporary in nature, charged to examine remaining unresolved issues or action items from former Governor Bush’s Statewide Initiative. As assessment and several implementation actions were completed. The Criminal Justice Commission formally adopted the Re-Entry Task Force as an ongoing committee in November 2008. Palm Beach County Public Defender Carey Haughwout and former Congressman Harry Johnston co-chaired this initial effort.
The task Force is comprised of elected officials, and other stakeholders involved in reentry throughout Palm Beach County.
The 2008 Task Force members are listed.
Carey Haughwout (Co-Chair), Public Defender, Palm Beach County (PBC)
Harry Johnston, ll (Co-Chair), Jones, Foster, Johnston & Stubbs, P.A.
Rosemarie Arnold, Director , Fresh Start (Catholic Church)
Dave Aronberg, Florida Senator
Cristy Baker, Project R.E.A.P. Success/ Office of Public Defender
Rosalyn Baker, FL Dept. of Corrections
Denise Barnes, PBC Weed & Seed
Dr. Gordon Bazemore, Florida Atlantic University
Dept. of Criminology/Criminal Justice
Robert Bertisch, Exec. Director, Legal Aid Society
Ellyn Bogdanoff, State of Florida Representative
Jay Bonner, Circuit 15 Juvenile Justice Board
Stewart W. Bosley, Jr., Another Chance
Michele Carter, Offender Re-entry/ GoodWill Industries
Carlton Cartwright, The Children's Coalition, Inc.
Colonel Keith Chambers,Office of PBC Sheriff/Corrections
Dwight Chenette, PBC Health Care Taxing District
Cathy Claud, S.A. Coordinator, State of Florida District 9 S.A. & M.H. Program
Susan Dean, Office of PBC Sheriff
Linda DiPiano, CEO, Oakwood Center of the Palm Beaches, Inc
Ted Deutch, Florida Senator
Nancy Dixon, Director, Victim Services/PBC Dept. of Public Safety
Dr. Karen Dodge, M.D., PBC Health Dept.
Patrick Franklin, CEO, Urban League of PBC
Reverend Henry Fuse, Urban League of PBC
Articia Futch, Office of PBC Sheriff
Dr. Tay G. Gaines, M.D., Urgent Medical Care of the Palm Beaches
Dr. Dennis Gallon, President, Palm Beach Community College
Rolando Garcia, Deputy Chief, Office of United States Attorney
Daniel Gibson, United Way of Palm Beach County
Allison Good, Coordinator, Community Care, Spanish River Church
Jeanette Gordon, Justice Services Center
Adam Hasner, State of Florida Representative
Glen Hicock, Office of PBC Sheriff
Denise Holmes, Prison Fellowship Ministries
Elpagnier Hudson, The Hope House
Winston Hudson, The Hope House
Alan Johnson, Office of State Attorney (FL)
Dr. Art Johnson, Superintendent PBC School District
Feirmon Johnson, Circuit 15 Manager, FL Dept. of Juvenile Justice
Jeremy Johnson, PBC Community Health Alliance
Ken Johnson, FL Dept. of Corrections/Probation & Parole
Wanda Joiner, Pride Integrated Services, Inc.
Larry Jordan, FL Division of Vocational Rehabilitation
Betsi Kassebaum, The Toppel Family Foundation
Barry Krischer, State Attorney
Kathleen Kroll, Chief Judge, 15th Judicial Circuit
Linda LaMarca, Citizen
Tom Lawlor, Office of Prison Ministry, Diocese of PBC
Diane Lewis, New Beginnings CDC/Prodigal Solutions
Jennifer Loyless, Coordinator, Office of Public Defender
Missie Malaney, Program Services Director, The Lord's Place
Dr. Jean Malecki, M.D., PBC Health Dept.
John McDermott, Citizen/Consumer of M.H. services
Raymond Morse, United Way of Palm Beach County
Kay Oglesby, Project R.E.A.P. Success/Office of Public Defender
Kasha Owens, United Way of Palm Beach County
Laura Poer, Office of PBC Sheriff/Drug Farm
Dennis Richards ,Ink & Toner
Ike Robinson, Commissioner, City of West Palm Beach, FL
Valerie Rolle, Drug Abuse Foundation
Greg Rydman, Salvation Army
Maria Sachs, State of Florida Representative
Captain Javarro Sims, Delray Beach, FL Police Dept.
Elivio Serra, Vice President, Toppel Foundation
Kelly Skidmore, State of Florida Representative
Michelle Spangenberg, 15th Judicial Circuit Court Administration
Joe Speicher, CEO, South County Mental Health
Kenneth Spillias, Attorney-at-Law
Diana Stanley, Exec. Director, The Lord's Place
Maria Tarrios, Salvation Army
Alton Taylor, Drug Abuse Foundation
Priscilla Taylor, State of Florida Representative
Jeffrey Toppel, The Toppel Family Foundation
Carrie Vaughn-Cromey, Legal Aid Society
Andrew J. Vissicchio, Jr., Sovereign Military Order of Malta/Catholic Church
Major Tammy Waldrop, Office of PBC Sheriff/Corrections
Debby Walter, Exec. Director, PBC Health Alliance
Dan Ward, Citizen/Family Member of M.H. or S.A. Consumer
Committees
